Cathy's Art Diary

Small exhibition at the Royal Academy of works on paper by Sir Henry Rushbury. I was struck by the fact that the works encompassed both Edwardian classical topographic works and contemporary Second World War factory scenes. I found the works a bit soulless but this may be because I had already done the colorful Sargent sea pictures.

First exhibition in a new series at the Royal Academy entitled “Artists Laboratory” which showcases more unusual work by Royal Academicians. This exhibition looked at works by Ian McKeever inspired by a move from London to Dorset. There were lovely black and white photographs of every day objects such as tea cups which concentrated on how light hit the objects and was reflected by them. There were also big paintings inspired by the landscape but I must admit I didn’t really get those. The lovely thing about the exhibition was that is was in the two Weston Rooms and very quiet so I have the magical experience of having these two beautiful rooms to myself for about 5 minutes. It was a wonderful contrast to the clamor in these rooms during the Summer Exhibition! Reviews Evening Standard

Nice concentrated exhibition at the Royal Academy of sea pictures by John Singer Sargent. Sargent’s sea pictures tended to be his early works and in later life almost his holiday pictures. He shows a wonderful understanding of the sea and an ability to catch the idea of movement in water. I particularly liked 2 galleries which looked in detail at a picture and the studies which were done for it. In each case “En Route pour la peche” and “Neapolitan children bathing” the pictures looked spontaneous but were in fact completed in the studio and based on extensive studies. My favorite picture was one of an Atlantic storm from a steamship which gave a real sense of mountainous waves and dipping sea. I felt slightly queasy looking at it! Reviews Times Daily Telegraph Independent Evening Standard

Garden in the courtyard at the front of the British Museum to highlight the wealth of plant life in South Africa . This is organised by the museum and Kew Gardens and follows on from last years Indian garden. It is lovely to see the space outside the museum used and to have living things in it. I love the vista’s through the garden of the buildings around it.

Classy exhibition at Somerset House marking the 20 th anniversary of the Paris fashion house Maison Martin Margiela. I must admit I couldn’t visualise myself in the clothes but I felt they were clothes as art. I loved the trompe l’oeil works especially the boots which looks like sandals with legs! More importantly it was a wonderful laid out exhibition which was also an art work in itself. I liked the display of the shoulders of jackets to show tailoring techniques and the room upstairs with easy chairs from which to watch videos of fashion shows.

An exhibition at Somerset House of work by 100 young people aged 14-16 attending Saturday morning art and design classes at Cleveland College of Art and Design, Hereford College of Art, Leeds College of Art and Plymouth College of art. It was just a small exhibition but I felt a buzz for the children that they had a show at a prestigious venue. In particular I liked the groups which had made plaster casts of their torsos and decorated them.

Exhibition to show the six shortlisted finalists for the next competition to find an art work for the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square held at St Martin in the Fields . I love the idea of using this Plinth for modern public works of art so rushed to the exhibition on its first weekend. It was a small exhibition in a nice space and it was great to hear people talking about the works and enthusiastically voting. I’d seen press coverage of the finalists the day before and made my mind up which one I liked best. But on the day I changed my mind and voted for “It’s never too late and you can’t go back” by Mariele Neudecker . This was a mountainscape on stilts. From the press coverage I had though it would look dull from below as all you would see would be the bottom however I’d not appreciated that the plate of the bottom was a map of Great Britain . As one of the two winners will be in the Square during the Olympics I felt this was appropriate. Reviews Times Guardian Daily Tel...